My Love on Top

If it weren’t for Facebook and Twitter, I wouldn’t have a blog. If I did, I would only post every couple of months or so. Most of my ideas spawn from something I read on social media. That’s my excuse for spending way too much time dealing with it when I’m supposed to be writing. Today is no exception.

My cousin, who I have decided is marvelous and wickedly wonderful, posted a link to Beyoncé’s “Love on Top” video and added this message —

It’s a great morning. I had this song in my head and realized that the person whose love and respect I most need to put on top is my own. Because, if I can’t love myself, how in the HELL am I gonna love somebody else. Can I get an AMEN, up in here! ♥

AMEN! This song resonates with me on many levels, but more than anything, it makes me hopeful that the love I deserve is not only somewhere in this noisy, anxious world, but it’s also inside of me now. There is a portion of it lying in wait until I meet the right person, but a lot of it is already being used on me. It’s more than simply keeping up my appearance or making sure I do my work well. I do something now that I haven’t done in the past — I give myself romance. I give myself passion. I cook nice dinners because I deserve nice dinners. I buy myself lilies because they’re my favorite flower. I take long walks with myself, comfort myself, encourage myself, and take care of the very little that’s actually mine. And, I do that first. Before I love others. Before I take care of others. Before I make anyone else dinner or give out anything resembling romance. If that means that I’m still single, oh well. At least I know that I’m loved and respected as I should be. I am the model for how I want a man to treat me.

I’m surrounded by people who give when they are on empty, who have nothing left for themselves, and they think that this is generosity. It’s not. Dry wells are not how God operates. We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So, if we don’t love ourselves enough to properly care for ourselves, to stand up for ourselves, to protect and honor ourselves, then we don’t love anyone else. Everything that we say we do in the name of love is a lie. We have to keep something in our wells for ourselves. That is how we truly love others without resentment for taking the last of what we have.

I thought about doing a cover of this, but I have to be honest, I try to stay away from iconic hits, and this is definitely one! So, I’ll share Beyoncé doing what she does best, singing this love song for you, in the hopes that you will, finally, put your love on top.